Pieces of Twilight
by destinare
Summary: Complete What if I told you that there are realms beyond the world we know? Realms that have existed in a delicate balance, perserved since time immemorial. Now, what would happen if these realms overlapped more than they should?
1. Act I

Author's Note: I began writing this when the manga was at chap. 185. Self-gratifying fan fic. Nothing more. Just a lot of fluff to amuse my own wild imagination and my obsession. :) With that in mind, check your sensibilities at the door. AU. Pure entertainment only. You've been warned. I hope you enjoy it!

Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo

The made up characters belong to me (G. A. Mehan-Molina aka destinare)

* * *

Suppose I tell you a story. A story so fantastical that it must surely be a fairy tale from ancient times. A story about Good and Evil, Life and Death, and the balance of the world. Now, suppose for one moment, _just_ a moment, that such a story was true. What then? How would you see the world? Would you still look at everything as being mundane and boring or would you start looking a little harder for something else? Something fantastical in the hopes that it was true? Think on that for just a moment. 

Now. What if I told you that it were true? Hear me out. There are worlds, realms really, beyond this one: Heaven and Hell and more besides. Realms that most Humans on this planet aren't even aware of. Not anymore. There was a time when Humans were well aware of the energies and the flow of the world around them, but as they grew and became more "civilized" the more distant they became from the earth and everything natural surrounding them. But I digress. That is not the story I intend to tell you.

The story I will tell you is about Good and Evil, Life and Death, and Balance. I see you smiling as if you had seen _that_ coming a mile away. Just humor me and let me tell you my story.

The air was crisp and cold. Fitting for a fall day in Karakura Town. The leaves were still in hues of gold, orange, and brown and the world reflected it. Even more so with the rising sun. It was beautiful.

It was a shame no one else seemed to really notice. People went about their daily routines like they did every day. Nearly everyone ignored the splendor of the world all around them. Only a few seemed to notice.

I sighed noisily over my cup of tea. No one even cared about such a spectacular sight. At least, not the people I worked with. I turned away from the window. I could barely see over the top of my cubicle wall anyway. There was no point in straining my neck to see the outside world. I turned a blank stare at the computer screen and gave it a look of disgust. I'm sure my computer hated me as much as I hated it. If computers could talk, I'm sure mine would tell me to go to Hell. Damn computers. I only came to Japan because of my job. I took another sip of tea and looked back toward the window. Today was going to be one of those days. I just knew it.

The day dragged on just as I had predicted. The meetings were long and boring, sitting in front of my computer trying to look busy was long and boring - not to mention frustrating - and waiting for the work day to be over was long and boring. When it was time to leave, I left as quickly as possible.

I enjoyed my stroll down the street to my apartment. It was a nice little neighborhood with a park and a couple of schools nearby. There was also a clinic just a block or two away. The family that ran it seemed nice. I remember being there once for a broken arm. I had tried to heal it on my own but to my embarrassment I couldn't. My arm was set by the man who ran it, who struck me as a bit odd. There was one moment where he gave me the strangest look. As if he could tell what I really was.

What's that? You're confused? I suppose I could tell you. I'm an Elf. That's right. An Elf. Not the kind that you read about in those role play books or those fantasy novels. I'm not unearthly beautiful, I'm not taller than most humans, and I do not have pointy ears. Where do these rumors get started?

Rather, I have dark brown eyes and caramel colored skin. My hair is black and I'm 5' 2", which is average for an Elf. Despite my dark skin, I am a Diaone Sidhe of the Seelie Court. Elves, just like Humans, don't all look or act alike and we come in a variety of shapes and sizes. That's why Humans never recognize us: we blend in.

Anyway, I made my way home and opened the door to my apartment. I performed my ritual routine of changing, making dinner, cleaning dishes, and relaxing. That was when I felt it: something stirred in the darkness beyond Nox's realm. I hadn't felt this particular feeling in years. Thousands of years.

I stood up from my seat and rushed to the window. I threw it open, stuck my head out, and tried to sense it. Silence. Complete and total silence. Everyone carried on about their business as if nothing was wrong. Of course, for them nothing was wrong.

I decided that I had hallucinated the whole thing until I heard the cry of one of my cousins. They were using my true name. Damn.

I hurried to the rooftop and followed the sound of the voice. I disappeared from the mortal realm and entered Aelorvaer. I phased in and out of Man's reality as I jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Traveling through Aelorvaer, which was my true home, was a hell of a lot faster.

For those of you who don't know, Aelorvaer is a world, or rather a realm, above the realm of Man. When I phase out of this realm and into Aelorvaer I'm not just going somewhere I'm going some_when_. You see, Aelorvaer is the realm of what the world once was, where all the elves, fairy, and magical folk now reside. Unfortunately, there aren't many of us left. There's another major realm, but we'll get into that later.

I ran, yes, ran, as fast as I could. When I found my cousin, I cam upon a most remarkable scene: there was a Hollow, a human spirit that no longer had a heart, attacking my cousin. Enraged, I pulled out my daggers and leapt in to block the Hollow's next attack. I like to think that the monstrous creature was more surprised than me, for the next moment saw me flat on my ass.

I uttered a quick spell of protection over myself and my cousin. "Are you alright!" I shouted at him over the sudden din of battle. My cousin nodded and I looked back at the scene before me.

There was a boy with spiky orange hair with a great sword and dressed in black. He looked familiar but I couldn't remember from where. The boy purified the Hollow's soul in less time than it took me to get here. He stood confidently where the Hollow had been and watched as it faded from Talvaer. The spiritual energy coming from him was so great that it danced along my senses. I stared at him and realized that he was a Shinigami. A Death God. Normally I couldn't sense Shinigami, as my senses weren't tuned to the spiritual side of the world, but this-! This I could nearly feel.

I had only seen them a few times before and that had been disastrous. Paer'mvaer, the realm of the dead, and Aelorvaer, the realm of the ancient world, weren't supposed to cross. Period dot. Bad things always happened when they did.

"Are you alright?" he asked, laying the flat edge of his blade on his shoulder. He looked serious and concerned in the manner a knight would, as if looking for more of those creatures to stave off but needing to know that I was alright.

I had to leave. And fast. Without even answering him, I dropped my spell, grabbed my cousin by the arm, and stepped into Aelorvaer. I could see the look of astonishment on his face. I knew to most people it looked as though I had just disappeared and I was fine with that. Let him think that he imagined it.

I carried my cousin back to my apartment and set him down in my bed. I tended to his wounds as best I could. They weren't severe, but still painful. I replayed in my mind the attack. Why would a Hollow, a creature that belonged to Paer'mvaer, be attacking one of my kind? Hollows can't feed off of us like they can with human souls. My kind don't die like humans. Our bodies fade from this existence and we travel across the Great Sea. What could a Hollow want with an Elf? Questions, questions, and more questions.

The fact that I had been able to see the Hollow was bad enough. That meant that our two realms were converging upon Talvaer, the realm of man. You guessed it. The Realm of the Dead was that third realm I was rambling about earlier. Our two realms don't mingle too well. Why? I'm not entirely sure. I think it may be because that those that come from Aelorvaer don't die. My kind merely fade away. Death holds no sway over us. But I doubt that was the actual reason. For as long as I could remember, our two realms hardly, if ever, crossed paths.

As my thoughts ambled away from me, my cousin finally woke. A feeling of relief washed over me.

"Aodhan, do you remember what happened?" I was blunt and to the point.

Aodhan looked at me with his dark eyes full of fear. His sandy blonde hair was a tousled mess and his wiry frame shivered uncontrollably. Aodhan was a strong Elf and someone you would want by your side in a fight. Seeing him like this unnerved me. "The Hollows. They attacked me," he whispered.

"Why?"

"I don't know!" he nearly wailed. I winced from the sound.

"When were you attacked?" I asked instead.

"Shortly after dark," he replied. He was still whispering and that made it difficult to hear him. "They just came out of nowhere! I don't know why they would attack me." His frightened eyes focused completely on me. "Don't they normally attack Humans?"

I nodded because it was true. Hollows normally attacked Humans. So, why had my cousin been so specifically targeted? Normally, Hollows couldn't see much less sense our kind. Something was odd about this whole situation.

I forced myself to smile. "Just rest, Aodhan. You're safe within these walls." I murmured a few words and watched as he drifted of to sleep. I took another peek at his wounds. These marks had been made deliberately. No doubt about it. Something was definitely not right.

* * *

The first thing I did when I woke up was call into work and tell my supervisor that I had a family emergency. He believed me and told me to keep him posted. When I hung up the phone, I knew that I would probably get fired because this little incident wasn't going to resolve itself within a few days.

I let Aodhan stay where he was during the day. He was safe so long as he stayed put. I made sure that nothing physical or otherworldly could get in and he couldn't get out. Cruel? Maybe. But it was for his own good.

I left my tiny apartment that night dressed in black and my hair pulled back. I didn't need casual passerbys noticing me. I traveled across the building tops, following the strands of mana in the earth below me. I could sense the air fae flowing about me and far off in the distance the ebb and flow of the water fae. Fae. My word for the natural magic in the world. Most people can't sense it, so far have they distanced themselves from the world. Those that could sense the coming and going of magic I'm sure sensed my presence as I passed.

You know that shiver you get down your spine for no reason sometimes? That isn't always caused by a sudden drop in temperature, someone walking over your grave, or someone standing behind you. Sometimes that's one of my kind passing close by. You just might be sensitive.

I didn't want to chance traveling through Aelorvaer. I wanted to be sure I caught sight of whatever it was that I had been sensing all day. It was faint and vaguely familiar. Where or when had I felt this before?

I stopped and tried to ground myself. I called softly out to the spirits in the earth, asking for their help. I felt the power rise up and engulf me. I felt the tremors along the earth and the buildings groaning from the weight they carried. The earth sighed from the weight of so many upon it, but there was nothing. I let the power go and thanked the spirits for their help. Something still wasn't right.

I searched for a while more before finally returning home. Aodhan was right where I left him and still fast asleep. That was good. I undressed quickly and donned on a pair of black house pants, a loose dark red shirt, and a black, oversized, button down shirt to help keep me warm. I pulled a spare pillow and extra sheets out of a drawer and made myself comfortable on the couch.

I drifted off into a fitful sleep. I attribute it to worry over Aodhan. I hoped that he would get better. When I woke in the morning, the first thing I did was check on him. He was still sleeping and his wounds were healing with no sign of infection. That was good.

I called work again and told them I was at the hospital with my relative. I fibbed a little and told them that the doctors weren't sure if my cousin, my only blood relative, would make it out or not and that he was in critical condition. My supervisor seemed to accept that and told me to call him if anything changed. I promised I would and hung up.

I spent the day at my apartment watching over Aodhan. I busied myself by cleaning, which I had been meaning to do for weeks. I don't mean the dishes and laundry. I'm talking about steam cleaning the carpet and whatnot. Even with all the ruckus I was making, Aodhan _still_ didn't wake up. I was amazed.

When evening drew near, I showered and changed. My house pants, the black ones, were dirty and were in the laundry bin waiting to be washed. I had to settle for an oversized shirt with sleeves.

I was in the kitchen when I felt something strange. An ominous presence that I could nearly taste. I immediately thought of Aodhan.

I rushed over to my room and felt something slam into the back of my left knee and my right ankle. I let out an involuntary gasp of pain and fell to the floor. I looked down at my legs. Iron. There were iron dirks in my legs.

"Aodhan!" I screamed. I began to crawl my way over to my room. The wall facing the street, the one with the window, the _only_ one with a window, blew open from some unseen force. I only knew that it was there by the distortion of the area. I wasn't sure if it was a Hollow or not. All I knew was that it wasn't a creature of magic. Every sensing I knew that could give me an impression of what it might be came back as nothing. I was beginning to panic. I could see a huge, hulking, distorted shape before me, knocking over furniture and the knick knacks I had collected as if searching for something. What in the Nine Hells was going on?

I screamed his name again. "Aodhan!" I froze. I felt the floor tremble behind me. Two creatures? Damn.

I turned to face it. I mustered all of my strength to force myself to stand. The iron bit deep into my flesh as I moved but I didn't care. I wasn't about to be taken out while laying on the ground or on my knees begging for mercy. My weapons were too far away, so that option was out. All I had left were spells.

I gathered all of the fae I could to me. The earth fae pooled beneath my feet and the air fae swirled about me. I didn't have time to think of a proper spell. I just begged them to destroy the monstrosity before me and save Aodhan.

I felt the surge of power leave me and slam into the creature with such force that the walls trembled. Something fell to the floor with a roar. I only hoped that it was my assailant. My legs gave out beneath me. The iron was sapping my strength. I just wasn't strong enough to do this on my own.

I felt something move. It was that thing again. I hadn't destroyed it. I was about to swear rather creatively but decided to save my breath. I would have to use the fae again but I wasn't even sure if I had enough strength for that. I began to gather the spirits to me when the orange haired boy from last night dispatched the beast with ease. I hate to admit it, but I was jealous.

I heard the creature roar. I glanced behind it and saw Aodhan. He was being carried by something and he was still unconscious. I cursed inwardly. If I didn't act quickly, that second ... _thing_ was going to walk off with my cousin.

I focused my attention on the thing in front of me. My only chance was to use a spell but I wasn't even sure if I had enough strength for that. I was ready to cast it until I felt that familiar energy wash over me. Could it be? I looked over at the hole in the wall, which looked like a gaping wound, pieces of plaster dangling in the air and two by fours hanging in the empty space. The energy that seemed to dance along my senses and over my body gave me goose pimples. Something was coming. Something more powerful than the creatures in the room. The orange haired boy that I had seen before appeared in the living room as if from thin air. He beat back the one before me with a series of quick blows with his massive blade. Quick, strong movements. He, again, reminded me of a knight coming to defend the weak and powerless. He dispatched the creature with ease. I hate to admit it, but I was jealous.

I glanced away toward Aodhan, whose captor was about to make a getaway. "Aodhan!" I screamed and pointed. My cousin's named seemed to be about the only thing I could say.

The boy turned his attention from me to Aodhan. He hefted his sword with as much ease as before, the Hollow disappeared in one swift movement and my cousin landed on the floor.

I stared for a moment. I was almost afraid that Aodhan was dead when he suddenly sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"What happened?" he asked.

I laughed in relief.

Aodhan looked from the boy to me, eyeing the spiky haired boy with suspicion. "Who's he?"

"Our rescuer," I replied. "Now, help me. Those bastards somehow knew about iron."

As Aodhan scrambled over to my side, the boy looked surprised. He stared at us for a moment. "Iron?" he blurted out. "Wait, you can see me?"

I looked up at him and nodded. He had brown eyes that were looking at me in a mixture of confusion and curiosity. "Yes, we can see you and yes, iron."

"What the hell does iron have to do with anything?" asked the boy irately.

"Everything," I said through gritted teeth. Aodhan gave me an apologetic look and yanked out the last dirk. He cast them aside and began to heal my wounds. A faint green light began to surround my legs and slowly the cuts began to fade.

The boy leaned over with interest. "I've never seen healing like that," I heard him say.

I glanced over at him. He was watching us with a mixture of suspicion and amazement. I wasn't entirely sure what to think of him. Still, he did save us. I would save my judgment for later.

"Why did those Hollows come here?" he asked.

"I don't know." I really didn't.

The boy gestured to Aodhan. "Did he have a relative die recently?"

I shook my head.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded.

Aodhan looked at him. "I haven't had any relatives die, sir." Which was true. He had an older brother, but-... It didn't matter. Our kind didn't die. Not in the manner that humans do.

"Then why would they come here?" the boy asked.

I had been wondering the same thing. I looked directly Aodhan as I said, "Good question. Here's another one for you: why is my cousin being targeted?"

"What do you mean?"

"This is the second attack within a few days."

"Second!" The boy sounded surprised and just a little alarmed.

"Yes." It took everything I had to tell him what had happened over the past three days. I was a warrior, yes, but I don't know the first thing about fighting Hollows. The last two times I was lucky. Damn lucky. If I wanted to save Aodhan and protect him in any way, I had to enlist the help of a Shinigami.

"There's more," I said. Aodhan gave me a look as I braced myself to tell the truth. I hesitated and opted for a half-truth. "Those Hollows couldn't -can't- be operating by themselves. They couldn't have known that iron would hurt me so much." That's right. Leave hints.

"You've said that before," the boy said, scratching his head. He frowned and looked as though he was trying to make sense of everything.

I waited, hoping he would figure it out. He stared at us intently and slowly two and two came together. "But you can't be. Elves don't exist."

Aodhan bristled at the comment and I shushed him.

"You don't even have pointy ears," he said after closer examination of the both of us.

Aodhan rolled his eyes. "Well, if we had long ears then everyone would want to capture us and use us for something, now wouldn't they?" There was a hint of bitterness and something else in his voice.

"We don't have long, pointy ears because we choose to live the majority of our lives amongst Man," I explained politely. I gave Aodhan a warning glare, who glared back. I knew he didn't appreciate the ear comment, not that I blamed him, but the last thing we needed was to chase this Shinigami away.

"How are your wounds?" the boy asked.

"They'll heal, Shinigami." I didn't want to admit that my legs hurt like Hell.

The boy grinned. It was practically a smirk. "Call me 'Ichigo.'" He looked away, toward the window. "Hollows attacking an Elf," he mused aloud. "From what I've been told, this has never happened before." He looked back at us. "Why did you say that you didn't have any relatives die?"

"Because for us, that's impossible. Elves don't die like Humans do," I explained. "We fade away from this mortal realm."

"Huh," was all he said. He looked out toward the window again, where the Hollow had left. "I guess this means that you're involved now."

"Does this mean that you'll help us?" Aodhan asked.

"A Hollow attacking an Elf," he repeated. "And you can see me. Can you normally see us Shinigami?"

I shook my head. It was true. e normally couldn't see the realm of the dead.

"Huh. As far as I know, most people can't see us. I guess I have no choice but to help you."

Aodhan looked as though he was about to say something smart. Before he could say anything, I interceded. "We are most grateful."

Ichigo looked at me. I still couldn't move. I didn't want to make the fact obvious by attempting to stand.

"Don't worry," Ichigo said, and he smiled. I couldn't help but smile back. "I'll make sure those Hollows won't attack you again."

"Thank you."

"Yes," Aodhan added, "thank you. My name is Aiden and this is my cousin Cinnia." He stood up, grabbed a blanket, and draped it over my legs. I had completely forgotten that I was only in a shirt. Apparently, so had Ichigo. His face now had a faint tinge of red to it.

"Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you," he muttered. His demeanor changed with his next question. "You said that you chose to live your lives here. Why?"

"For love of the world as it is," I answered, "and for what it once was."

Ichigo stared.

I didn't care. I knew he didn't understand and no amount of explanation would help. "Help me stand." Aodhan helped me stand to my feet, blanket in hand. We shuffled over to the couch that had miraculously survived and sat down. I grimaced with every movement I made. The iron poison had spread faster than I had thought. With Aodhan's help, my legs were propped up onto the couch. He laid the blanket over me. "You should sleep," I told him.

"You're one to talk," Aodhan retorted.

It was true. The poison coursing through my body had severely weakened me. What I needed was rest and a short return to Aelorvaer.

"Ichigo?"

"Yes?"

"Will you stay here the night? Aiden and I are not capable of fighting Hollows. If another returned-"

"Sure, I'll stay the night."

"Thank you."

I felt reassured somehow. Safe, even in this chaos. Amazing how a boy that I hardly knew would be willing to stay to watch over Aodhan and me. I snuggled under the blanket for warmth and let myself drift off to sleep. My last coherent thought was about the hole in the wall and how we were going to fix it, much less stay warm. Silly Cinnia. Aodhan could fix it.


	2. Act II

Author's Note: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, plot, etc. are the property of Tite Kubo. The original characters, settings and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated withTite Kuboand no copyright infringement is intended. This work is an amateur fan effort and no profit is being made.

With that in mind, check your sensibilities at the door. AU. Pure entertainment only. You've been warned. Enjoy!

* * *

I woke the next day late in the afternoon to the sound of Aodhan arguing with someone. I opened my eyes to see that my ever-present cousin was arguing with Ichigo, except that he was no longer dressed as a Shinigami. He wore jeans and a shirt that had Good Vibe written on it. They were arguing over something concerning the ruined wall where the window had been. 

I let them argue.

I stood up with the blanket wrapped around me and walked over to my room. The shattered door had been replaced with a new one. It just needed to be painted. I changed into jeans and a black T-shirt. It was mid September and still cold, but I liked to keep my apartment warm. I stepped out of my room and into the living room. There were more people here than I remembered last night. I saw Aodhan looking highly annoyed as he was talking with Ichigo. My guess was that they were attempting to fix the wall and were still arguing over it.

"Just let Aiden fix the wall," I said on my way to the kitchen. Everyone stopped. I didn't even know who half of them were. "This isn't the first time that a wall has been blown out and I doubt it will be the last."

I saw a tall blonde woman with breasts you could hardly miss sitting on the floor. She was dressed in a skirt and a barely buttoned up shirt. I wasn't quite sure what to think of her. Was she just comfortable with how she looked or-? I decided to be nice and give her the benefit of the doubt. She was here with Ichigo and to me that meant something. There was also a boy with white hair and green eyes dressed similarly to Ichigo sitting nearby. He seemed to have this perpetually serious look on his face. I figured it was because of the frown. Someone so young shouldn't frown so much, but I knew from personal experience that you couldn't judge people, especially Shinigami, by appearance alone. I winced. I should have remembered that when I first saw the blonde woman. Still, what were they doing in _my_ apartment?

Ichigo must have noticed my look for he stepped forward. "Cinnia, this is Lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku and Captain Hitsuguya Toshiro." He gestured to each of them in turn.

I raised my eyebrows. "'Captain?'" I didn't say it, but Toshiro looked a little young to be a captain.

Toshiro stood up. "Captain of the 10th Division."

That still hadn't clarified anything for me. It must have shown.

"There are thirteen divisions among the Shinigami," Rangiku explained, "called the Gotei 13 and each division is led by a captain."

That made sense to me. The divisions must be like units in an army led by an officer. I vaguely remembered something like that from the last time I spoke to a Shinigami. "An honor to meet you, captain."

Toshiro nodded curtly and sat back down. So much for good impressions.

Aodhan was busy working on the wall. He had a tape measurer, a level, a chair, and a few other things needed to help with the repairs. The tape measurer was in his mouth as he attempted to scribble something down on a wrinkled piece of paper with no backing. Numbers, I guessed. Measurements of all the pieces of wood and whatnot he would need. I idly wondered if he would repair the wall to the exact specifications that it had been before or get a wild hair and do something subtly different. Something that no one would notice unless they looked close enough. I was interested in seeing what he would do. I sat down on the couch and sighed. I still felt weak from last night's attack. What worried me was that more Hollows could come. My temporary weakness was secondary.

"You shouldn't frown so much."

I looked up at Toshiro, startled. I hadn't realized that I had been frowning.

"You have three Shinigami with you right now. No mere Hollow would be able to withstand us." He turned to Rangiku. "Once the wall is fixed, we'll begin rotation. Two Shinigami at all times."

"Yes, captain," she replied.

"Ichigo, did you bring them here?" I asked. I was vaguely aware of Aodhan announcing that he needed a few more things before he could begin on the window as Ichigo nodded.

"I thought having a few extra Shinigami would be a good idea, considering the circumstances," he replied.

I was about ready to fume but I couldn't get mad at him. He was thinking about our safety. "Why so many to help us?"

"Because Hollows aren't supposed to attack Elves. Because they aren't supposed to be able to _see_ you and your kind." Toshiro turned slightly to look at me. "Because our two worlds aren't supposed to overlap in this realm."

I understood then. They had been sent to investigate the matter and were watching over us to see if more light could be shed on the issue. I told him as much.

He acknowledged my thoughts with a nod. "That would be my assumption as well."

I frowned and looked away. Assumption, huh? That meant he wasn't entirely sure what was going on. I watched as Aodhan managed to convince Ichigo to go with him to pick up the things he needed for the damaged drywall, among other things. I was sure they were going to pickup things to finish up whatever supports had been damaged as well.

I decided to occupy my mind by curling up in my sitting room with a book. It wasn't really a room. Just a sectioned off part of the main room that I created by placing Victorian styled standing screens up. I let the Shinigami do what they needed. There wasn't much for me to do anyway.

Adohan returned with supplies and his "volunteer." It was late already and Aodhan knew how much I couldn't stand him working on projects late into the night at my place. Especially loud ones. I heard Ichigo leave. Only Rangiku and Toshiro remained. I set my book aside and stepped into the main room. I offered to make dinner but Toshiro waved me off. I turned to Rangiku and Aodhan. "What about you two? I can make some traditional European dishes." Truth be told, they were the only dishes that I knew how to make well.

Rangiku seemed intrigued. "Sure, I'll try some," she said, which received a snort from Toshiro. Rangiku seemed to wave him off in the same manner he had me.

"What about manicotti?" Aodhan suggested.

I agreed. We typically didn't eat meat. It wasn't that we couldn't, it was more out of respect for the animals. That, and the smell of meat made me feel ill. It was the same for Aodhan. It wasn't until dinner was almost ready (salad and bread was all that was left to prepare) did two more guests appear. They had knocked on the door before entering, which I thought was rather considerate. Well, I would have had they waited for me to say, "Come in."

I watched in some annoyance as two men walked into my apartment. One had red hair with a white piece of cloth tied around his forehead and walking in behind him was a young looking bald man. They had the same sense of death about them and were dressed in nondescript clothes that were worn by the common people. I glanced over at Rangiku as she greeted them.

"Renji. Ikkaku. So nice of you to join us." She smiled and gestured to the dinner I was finishing. "Care to eat? Cinnia has just finished making this interesting smelling food."

I nodded to both of them as I was introduced. I looked them both in the eye. Just briefly. They would both stick out in a crowd. The red head because of his tattoos and the other because he was bald. And not just shaved head bald but shiny bald.

"I made extra in case you want seconds, Rangiku," I announced. I tossed the salad and sliced the bread. "Please, have a seat." I gestured to the table where Rangiku, Aodhan, and Toshiro (I had convinced him to eat with us) sat. There was plenty of room and plenty of food. I wasn't worried.

I set two more places at the table and served everyone their food. No one ate until I sat down. The normal chit chat over dinner ensued. Although, Renji, Ikkaku, and Toshiro were quiet until Rangiku involved them. She said something about Ikkaku being bald and they started arguing. I realized then that Renji was the red head.

After dinner, Rangiku and Toshiro left. The four of us went our separate ways. Aodhan disappeared into his room/the guest room. I left for my room as well, leaving the two Shinigami to their own devices.

I changed and tried to sleep but my restless mind kept chasing it away. I finally got up, put on some pants for decency, and stepped out of my room. I shut the door behind me out of habit and glanced at Ikkaku. He was sitting near the hole in the wall. Aodhan had thought to put up a transparent barrier to keep the warmth in. Rangiku had suggested a curtain of sorts and my dear cousin had happily obliged. I think he was infatuated with her. Ikkaku barely glanced at me as I walked by to the sitting area. I paused as I saw Renji sitting in my favorite chair. I was now annoyed.

I forced a smile and reached for my book that was sitting on the little end table right by the chair.

"I'm sorry. Am I sitting in your seat?"

Damn. I hadn't expected him to be nice. I smiled again. "You're fine. No worries." I curled up in the chair opposite him. "How long are you two here for?" I was trying to be polite.

"Until morning."

I didn't know what else to add to the conversation. I looked down at the book in my lap. It was one of those literary classics. _L'Morte D'Arthur._ I wanted to see how the rest of the world saw him. Besides, I didn't know what else to add to the conversation.

"You have a tattoo."

I looked up at him then. "Hmm?" It took me a moment to realize what he was talking about. "My back." I had forgotten. I was wearing one of those spaghetti strap nightie tops. He must have seen my tattoo when I had turned to sit down across from him.

He nodded.

"Forgive me. I sometimes forget that it's even there."

"What is it? It looks like some sort of symbol."

"The design on my back is known as a triqueta." I turned my back to show him again. "It's an ancient symbol of protection." I sat back in my chair. "I noticed that you have some as well."

Renji reached up instinctively. "Ah. Yes."

"Forehead and chest?" I guessed.

He nodded. "And back and arms."

I was stunned and amazed. "You're completely covered?"

The look on my face made him laugh. "No, no. Not completely. Well, not in the way that you're probably thinking." He rolled up one sleeve as he spoke and showed me a tribal looking design on his upper arm.

"And that's tattooed on the rest of you?" I gestured at him with my index finger in a swirly motion.

"More or less."

I shook my head. "I don't know how you managed to get through having your forehead tattooed."

"Why? How many do you have?"

"Two." I held up my fingers to illustrate.

"Where?"

Ah ha! So he hadn't seen the other one. "The other one is on my lower back."

We lapsed into silence. I'm a great conversationalist. Honest.

I fell asleep at some point. I don't really remember when. I remembered being tired, my eyes drooping, and that was it. I woke with a blanket over me, tucked in gently around my shoulders. I sat up and turned my bleary eyes to the person sitting across from me.

"Hello?" I mumbled. I rubbed the heel of my hand in my eyes and blinked away the morning haziness.

"Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

I froze. I knew that voice. I knew that voice all too well. I looked, really looked, this time. "Jushiro," I whispered.

His hair was longer than I remembered but still white. There was a tiredness about his eyes that I didn't remember, though. He wore a crisp, clean business suit and sat upright in the seat, back straight. I shouldn't have expected anything less.

"Hello, Cinnia."

"You pushed for this, didn't you? The protection."

"The captains and I were in agreement-"

I snorted. "You mean the old man remembers me."

Jushiro leveled a look at me. "Yes, he remembers you. He also happens to remember what happened the last time that our worlds overlapped."

I looked away. "You could have sent word. Said, 'Hello.'"

"You know as well as I do that attempting such communication would have been difficult."

I knew that. I just didn't want to admit it.

"You and Aiden seem to be doing well. Is he living with you now?"

I shook my head. I was actually thankful for the change in subject. "Aiden stays here most days. I think that, even after all this time, he hates being alone."

"And you?"

I was silent for a moment. I tried not to think and just answer the question. "I feel her sometimes, in those last few moments between waking and dreaming. I see her. I'd like to think she's happy."

"I'm sure she is." I heard the smile in his voice.

"How long are you here for?" I asked abruptly.

"Until about evening. Maybe not quite that long. We're in twelve hour rotations," Jushiro explained.

Silence hung in the air. We were dancing around the real subject and we both knew it.

"It's different this time," I whispered.

"How so?"

"Just as you can feel reiatsu, or spiritual pressure, I can feel magical energies. The way I sense these energies is almost the same way you do. The difference being _what_ I'm sensing. I can tell you right now that whatever is causing this imbalance between all the realms is much different than last time."

Jushiro frowned at me. I probably would have given him the same look had he been explaining something from Soul Society.

I closed my eyes and concentrated. I shut out the noises and grasped the nearest magical thread I could find. I traced it until I found another one and another. I traveled along these threads until I found that one that was inherently different from the rest. I felt my brow furrow down.

"What is it?" I heard Jushiro ask.

"Hush," I told him. I focused on it, that energy, and tried to determine where and what. All I could sense was darkness and a heavy oppressiveness as if a weight was being pressed down upon me. Then, I felt it move and it was aware. Aware of me.

I gasped aloud and my eyes flew open. I broke the connection as quickly as possible. I had felt this before. This was ancient and full of malice. This was an intelligent evil. I was hard pressed to place where exactly I had sensed this maliciousness but I recognized it. It worked in subtle ways and manipulated those around it, especially Man, to do what it desired. It had poisoned the hearts of some of my Elvish cousins, turning them into Drow. It had ruined lives without any thought than its own wants. I shuddered, not wanting to think on it any longer.

"What is it?" Jushiro asked again. "What did you sense?"

"This is nothing like the last time. This is something far worse."

"What could be worse than Demons?"

"A nathar sgiathach."

He gave me a confused look.

"A winged serpent."


	3. Act III

Author's Note: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, plot, etc. are the property of Tite Kubo. The original characters, settings and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with Tite Kubo and no copyright infringement is intended. This work is an amateur fan effort and no profit is being made.

With that in mind, check your sensibilities at the door. AU. Pure entertainment only. You've been warned. Enjoy!

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Everyone sat in the living room. There was a couch and a loveseat and directly behind it was the dinning room, which had a kitchen table. The area was much too small to have a dinning table and the one I had would have taken up more than half the room. This _was_ a Japanese apartment. I had to make do with what I had and used the furniture to make a distinction between the rooms. At a wall near the kitchen was a bar table with matching stools. Antique ones, no less. They were sturdy and had been through their fair share of a tavern fight, not to mention all manner of house projects. Gods knew how many times I had to replace the wood, but always to the original specifications. There were antique lamps with their original Tiffany glass here and there, a small end table with a frosted glass and amber chess set. The kind where you lift the top and underneath it is a velvet covered holding place for all the pieces. Just peeking out from behind one of the Victorian styled screens I used as part of the dividing wall between the living room and the sitting room was a traveling harp and next to it was a dulcimer. Hanging from the walls were paintings, ornate plates, a relatively small tapestry (I was half tempted to use it to cover up "the hole"), and a sword with its sheath placed in a velvet backed display case. The sword looked as though it had seen better days. There were scratches and dents along its blade, part of the crosstree was missing, and the leather braiding around the hilt was worn. The sheath was battered and some parts of it were worn down, such as the entrance and a spot where a shield had rested against it. There were remains of leather wrapping around the shield worn spot, but it was beginning to come off. Another ancient relic from the distant past.

I pulled over the two leather wing backed chairs from the sitting room for Juushirou and I to sit in. Aodhan was sitting on the arm of the loveseat facing the ruined wall (which now exhibited some signs of being resuscitated and a plastic drape around it). Rangiku and Toshirou were sitting in it. It was a little cramped and they were practically sitting _on_ each other, but that was why it was called a 'loveseat.' Toshirou, needless to say, looked highly annoyed. Ichigo was perched on one of the bar stools that I normally kept by the bar table near the kitchen. He had probably dragged it over so that there weren't three gentlemen sitting on the couch all crowded together. Humans were so funny sometimes. Renji and Ikkaku shared the couch but were sitting at opposite ends of each other. Typical.

The air in the room was permeated with tension, expectation, and dread with an undercurrent of curiosity. As far as I could tell, Aodhan, Juushirou, and I were the oldest in the room and Juushirou was the _only_ Shinigami present that had any experience with other realms. These younger Death Gods were entering new territory just by talking with Aodhan and me. I could feel the heaviness in the room and the steady stream of energy, which flickered over my skin like fireflies at twilight. The air was so thick I could taste it. My mind waded through it as I tried to focus my attention at the task at hand.

Ichigo was giving me a blank stare. So did most of those assembled before me. I think Aodhan and Juushirou were the only ones who knew what '_nathar sgiathach_' meant. This was going to be more difficult than I thought.

"The winged serpent," I said, watching their expressions.

Rangiku looked curious and listened to every word I said with an attentiveness that I hadn't seen before. There were probably reasons why she was a lieutenant. Toshirou was frowning more than he normally did but I could see in his eyes that he was weighing everything that was being said. I couldn't tell if he believed me or not. Ikkaku looked bored with the conversation. Every time something was said he rolled his eyes. He struck me as the type of man that, unless it involved fighting and maiming something, he wasn't interested. Ichigo… Well, he was trying to understand. I'll give him that. Renji was only half paying attention, his attitude of one who wonders why he should care if it didn't directly affect him.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Renji asked, stifling a yawn.

"Everything," Aodhan answered before I could. All eyes turned on him. "The _nathar sgiathach_ is what you would call a serpent. But one in particular is ancient. It was here long before Man and Elf alike and it is not happy about the current state of affairs here on this world."

"They were all here before we were," I added. "All of the _nathar sgiathach_."

Aodhan gave me a slightly annoyed look as he continued. "Most serpents Cinnia and I have encountered are guardians or they wish to be left alone and want nothing to do with the world. Those we call 'dragons.'; however, there are a few that wish to return the world to the way that it once was."

"Which would be?" Ichigo asked. He was scratching the back of his head. For whatever reason, it annoyed me greatly. Points to him for asking questions at least.

"Before Elf and Man ever set foot on the world," Aiden replied.

"And this serpent-"

"_Nathar sgiathach_," I supplied.

This time, both Aodhan and Ichigo gave me annoyed looks. I ignored them.

"Right," Ichigo said. I could hear the irritation in his voice. "It wants to return the world to that state."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It hates us," Aodhan replied. "It hates all of us. It claims that we destroyed the world."

"Let me guess: it wants to destroy us?" Ichigo looked amused.

It did seem cliché but that wasn't quite what this particular _nathar sgiathach_ wanted. I told them as much.

"Then what does it want?" Rangiku asked. She had leaned back in her seat on the loveseat and was now looking at us in a manner that spoke of keen interest. Or concern. I wondered if perhaps she had heard of these particular dragons.

"To return the world to what it once was," I replied.

"You've said that."

"Yes, I know." Aodhan was beginning to get frustrated. I could see it in the way he sat, the way he frowned, and was floundering for the right words. He cast about, trying to find a way to explain things to them in a manner that they would understand. "There are many _nathar sgiathach_, but there is one in particular that hates the Elves and Humans the most. It is ancient, powerful, and holds a hatred for the world as it is now that is unrivaled. It has attempted many times to bring about the fall of Man," Aodhan explained. "It has also corrupted many of our brethren, turning them into Drow."

"Drow?" Ichigo looked confused. I could see his gaze turn inward as he thought of the Drow that were typically described in those newer books. Wretched things. They hardly ever got anything right.

"Not what you think," I said quickly. "In our language 'drow' means 'dark elf.' They live in the bowels of the earth near the winged serpent that had tainted and corrupted them. They are highly skilled warriors and are extremely adept at poisons. No purple skin, white hair, or red eyes. Don't always take what you read as truth about our kind or any others."

"I thought Drow were just born Drow," Ichigo mused. He had his chin in his hand and was listening to Aodhan and I intently.

Aodhan was shaking his head. "No. Drow were originally Elves. You see, when an Elf looses his heart he becomes susceptible to temptations of a darker nature. When that happens, he becomes Drow."

I decided to bring the conversation back on track. "I know it sounds cliché and predictable but this _nathar sgiathach_ has the ability to reduce the world to nothing with no more than a thought."

"But it doesn't want that."

"No. What it longs for is something that existed in the distant past."

"The world as it once was."

I smiled. "So you _are_ listening." I waved off his retort and continued. "The _nathar sgiathach_ in question will attempt to rid the world of Man. How? I don't know."

"And the Elves?"

Aodhan and I remained quiet. I saw Juushirou look at me in alarm. I glanced over at the others and saw that look mirrored on Toshirou's face. I turned away, not wanting to see the thoughts of the others imprinted on their faces. "It will attempt to turn the Elves into Drow or kill them," I said very quietly.

"Which will the dragon do first?" I heard Juushirou ask just as quietly.

I clenched my hands in my lap as Aodhan replied.

"Us," he said oh so calmly. It was almost maddening. "We are the greatest threat. After we are gone there will be very few people who will be able to stop it."

I could hear my heart pounding in my ears as I tried to still the rushing tide. This was no time to panic. I had to remain calm. If it came down to a fight, the others would be depending on me. I couldn't begin to explain it, this feeling. This _nathar sgiathach_ inspired a fear in me that was unrivaled by any other creature. Demons and Drow seemed like gnats, a nuisance, in comparison. This was an all encompassing evil that had grown when the first Elf set foot on the world. I wasn't so proud to say that we didn't cause any of the strife. We did fight wars against the dragons and ourselves. If anything, we had created the wound. The Humans made it fester. But it wasn't _their_ fault. It was **_ours._**

The grumbling from the Shinigami, their angry voices and protests, brought me out of my reverie. Something inside of me, not so much snapped loose, but came together. I was an Elf, a self-charged protector of the world and its ancient ways. There was no time for pity, for self-loathing. Something had to be done and we needed the help of the Death Gods.

"I'm being quite serious," I snapped. I was angry. Mostly at myself than at them. "How many of you know how to manipulate the magic in the earth and in the air? In the fire and the water? How many of you can sense a difference in the flow of the world when it changes? How many of you know how to defeat a _winged serpent_ so ancient that it's impervious to most of our spells and simple weapons?" I stared at them, chin lifted and with indignation in my eyes, waiting for an answer but knowing none would come. "This _nathar sgiathach_ can change the world and none of you would know it. This change wouldn't be obvious. It would be something so subtle that no one would notice. Why? Because most Humans have lost the ability to sense the world's moods." I stared at them each in turn. "Do you understand now why this is so important?"

"Yes," Toshirou answered quietly, calmly. The look he gave me made me realize how much older he was. In that moment, he was no longer a boy playing at samurai and trying to be more grownup than he looked. In my eyes, he was infinitely older than most of those present. I had been sorely wrong about him. I inclined my head to him, slowly, eyes lowered. An acknowledgement of his wisdom without having to say a word. I saw a look pass over his face for just a moment, long enough for me to see: understanding. Yes. I had been _very_ wrong about him.

"Now," he began in brisk, business-like tones, "the question remains: why were Hollows after Aiden?"

I sighed, my anger gone now. I couldn't let myself loose control. I couldn't fall into the same traps as some of my cousins had: pride, arrogance, and scorn for the Humans. "I don't know," I said finally. "There's also the question of the iron. How did they know that iron is near lethal for Elves?" I stood up from my seat and began to pace. A nervous habit of mine. "Only those of the old world would know about it." I gave Juushirou and Aodhan a meaningful glance as I passed them.

"Cinnia, sit down," Juushirou told me in an off-hand manner. His brows were furrowed slightly as he considered the possibilities against what he knew. "Hollows wouldn't know on their own about something like that," Juushirou mused.

"Hollows wouldn't, but what about Arrancar?" Ikkaku suggested.

I mouthed that last world to Juushirou. He shook his head. I'd have to ask him about it later.

"What would Aizen have to gain from capturing an Elf?" Toshirou retorted with disdain. "If Aizen was working with the serpent, he wouldn't want the world destroyed. Just under his control."

"Unless Aizen doesn't know about the serpent," Juushirou pointed out.

"Who's Aizen?" I asked.

I saw Toshirou stiffen and Juushirou frown. There was a hard look in Rangiku's eyes and Renji looked murderous. That same look was mirrored in Ichigo's face. Ikkaku looked less perturbed than the rest but still uncomfortable.

"Aizen," Juushirou said slowly, "was once a Shinigami. He was captain of the 5th Division until his betrayal. He-"he paused, seemingly collecting his thoughts "-he wanted to accomplish something that was forbidden. He wanted to create Shinigami that possess the powers of a Hollow. He was successful to an extent. Currently, we are unaware of whatever else he's planning."

I looked directly at Aodhan. "Hollows and Drow. A Drow would know about iron and the only Drow that I know of that would want Aiden is Rhys."

"Rhys?"

"He used to be Aiden's brother. He-" Now it was my turn to explain things in an easy manner. "Something happened, something that he couldn't understand and handle, and he was tempted by the _nathar sgiathach_. He became a Drow after that, but he still has strong feelings for Aiden as a brother. He probably wants to turn Aiden into one so they can be family again."

I could see the pieces begin to fall into place. Some of it was speculative, but so far everything was making sense. Still, one thing was bugging me: why would such an ancient creature work with a creature so obviously linked to Death's Realm?

"So, the real question is: is the _nathar sgiathach_ and this Aizen working together or is this mere coincidence?" I asked. "The serpent may be using a Drow to communicate with the outside world." It was a possibility. A _strong_ possibility.

"But why would they work together in the first place?" Rangiku mused aloud. "Did Aizen know about the serpent all along or was it a recent discovery? If he did know about these serpents and dragons, could this be part of his ultimate plan?"

"That's the million dollar question," Aodhan muttered darkly.

I glanced over at him. He stood with his arms crossed and glowering at nothing in particular. The mention of his brother must have set him in a foul mood. I couldn't blame him. He glanced at me and muttered that he was going to bed. I nodded.

The Shinigami discussed amongst themselves what to do. I politely excused myself and readied for bed. It had been a long day. I bathed instead of showered, using my favorite oils: lavender and chamomile. I washed my hair and dressed. When I emerged from my bedroom everyone was gone except for Renji.

"Are you here by yourself?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Nah. Ichigo's here with me. He wanted to ask you some questions when he got back."

I nodded. I wanted to know what questions but I would find out soon enough. I walked over to my favorite sitting chair again with the book from last night. I opened it but couldn't seem to concentrate on the words. I gave up, closed the book, and walked back into the dining room, book in hand.

The window was almost done. Aodhan really knew what he was doing when it came to carpentry. I looked over at the door to see Ichigo return with Aodhan, who said he was going to bed. He must have gone out with Ichigo to get whatever he needed without handing out the key. Trusting yet paranoid at the same time. That's Aodhan.

I sat down on the couch and watched Ichigo put something in my fridge. He came back over and sat down across from me.

"I was confused by one of your comments," he said.

Here it comes.

"You said that Rhys was once Aiden's brother and yet you said that he would be the only one who would be after him."

Ah. I knew the answer to this question.

"Rhys became a Drow a little over a thousand years ago. When that happens, we no longer consider them as part of the family. Why hold on to something that no longer exists?"

Ichigo looked thoughtful for a moment. I glanced over at Renji and he looked mildly interested in the conversation.

"Why did he become a Drow?" Renji asked suddenly. "You said that Elves don't become Drow unless they loose their heart."

"And you and Captain Ukitake seem to know each other, too," Ichigo pointed out with a hint of mischief.

I laughed. "Juushirou and I know each other from long ago." I could feel the smile fade from my lips. "I don't suppose you two are interested in hearing a story, are you?" I didn't wait for a response.

"When the world was still young and green, my sister Soraya met Rhys. They seemed happy together and I think they may even have had plans to marry. I met Aiden because of Rhys and we became friends.

"Anyway, something happened. The balance between the Demon realm and our realm was thrown off and began to bleed over into the mortal realm, which affected Paer'mvaer, or Death's Realm. You see, some rogue Demons were trying to break free of their bonds and wreak havoc in Talvaer, or the World of Man. We felt the world cry out and came to its aid. That was when my sister met Maero. He was part of Juushirou's unit. He was the one that saved her that first time."

"First time?"

"The first time that we fought against the Demons. It was how they met. He saved her during that initial fight. He fended them off before they overwhelmed her. She fought beside him once she regained her footing and held the first wave off until reinforcements came."

I grew quiet and closed my eyes. "They fought together, spent time together, and soon Soraya found herself in love with a Shinigami. It wasn't that such a love was forbidden. It was just difficult. You see, in Aelovaer time flows differently and at that time we Elves lived there. We would venture out only when needed. And since Maero lived in Paer'mvaer, what you call Soul Society, it made things extremely difficult."

"So, what did they do?" Ichigo asked quietly.

"Soraya gave up her life in Aelovaer to live in Talvaer. I didn't want her to be alone during the times when Maero couldn't be there so I came as well. Rhys flew into a jealous rage, which surprised everyone. He tried to drag Soraya back. I tried to stop him but I was too weak. Rhys was one of our strongest warriors when he had been an Elf. I didn't stand a chance against him as a Drow. I was lucky Aiden and Vaeramae, a friend of mine, showed up when they did. While Rhys could have easily beaten Aiden and myself, he couldn't withstand the might of a Valkyrie. But something changed in his heart that day forever. I think that was the day when he lost his heart."

"He became a Drow then, didn't he?"

I nodded. "He must have. I never saw him after that. I took Aiden in and cared for him in the absence of his brother. It was shortly after that that we were able to close off the hole in the Demon Realm with the help of the Demon King and the Shinigami; however, Maero lost his life during that last battle. Soraya died shortly thereafter from grief."

"Wait a minute. I thought-"

I held up a hand to stop any more questions and comments. "Elves do not die like Humans do. Mortal wounds don't affect us the same way as they do for you; however, we _can_ die from things such as grief or despair." I dropped my hand back into my lap. I looked down and I could feel a heavy weight descend upon me. "She just couldn't bear to be away from him."

"And that left you and Aiden by yourselves."

"Yes."

"Why didn't you go back?"

Ichigo just _had_ to ask the complicated questions. "Aelovaer… Aelovaer was large then. But as time flowed ever forward, more and more of that ancient world began to die as Man continued to spread. Many of my kind have left to travel across the Great Sea to never return. Others have opted to live mostly in this world. There is only so much of Aelovaer left and it's not much."

Renji and Ichigo were quiet. Ichigo sat with his elbows on his knees leaning forward, staring down at the floor with a serious expression on his face. Probably because of that perpetual scowl of his. Renji sat on the couch with his arms hanging over the back and his legs stretched out in front of him. He stared off into the distance. Who knew what he was thinking.

I left them to their thoughts. I tucked my legs under me and opened my book.

"So, why do you stay?"

The question gave me pause. I looked up at Ichigo and stared for a long while before answering. "For love of the world as it once was," I said ever so quietly. I looked back down at my book. I still hadn't finished _L'Morte D'Arthur_. "I love this world too much to just leave it all behind. I will continue with this existence until I am no longer able."

"You love it that much?" Ichigo asked.

"I do."

We lapsed into silence again when Ichigo brought up another complicated issue. "That night when the Hollows were trying to take Aiden away you called him 'Aodhan'…" He left the rest hanging in the air.

I sighed. I seemed to sigh a lot these days. "Those from Aelovaer have names that have power over them called 'true names.' Aodhan is Aiden's true name. Keep this amongst yourselves and tell no one. What you two now posses is a great advantage over my cousin."

I wasn't sure if I had impressed upon them the importance of this matter but they nodded. I would have to be sure that they didn't use this information unwittingly.

Ichigo looked as though he was about to ask more about the subject but I shook my head. True names were a difficult subject. "Just promise me that you will not use his name. Swear that you will keep this to yourselves," I pleaded.

"If it means that much to you we won't say anything," Ichigo promised. "Will we?" He looked over at Renji, who nodded.

I breathed a faint sigh of relief. "Thank you." I pulled my book back into my lap and attempted to read.

I was content to leave things the way they were for several days. Aodhan worked on the window until it was finished and the Shinigami guards were rotated. We were beginning to develop a comfortable routine.

I went back to work. Aodhan and I wouldn't exactly survive off of what little we had left and if I stayed away from work any longer I would most certainly be fired. So, off to the 'grind,' as the Humans called it, once more.

Juushirou insisted that someone accompany me but I dissuaded him from implementing such a thing. I reminded him that I wasn't the one in danger that Adohan was. He relented and let me go to work by myself. I'm sure he sent someone to follow and watch over me, anyway. It was just as well.

The days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into first one month, then another. Nothing. Nothing at all. I wondered if it was because whoever was our assailant knew that we were keeping company now and if they knew that our company were Shinigami. There was no guarantee that it _was _Rhys. I couldn't divine past, present, or future. It wasn't one of my talents and it certainly wasn't one of Aodhan's. I had never been so nervous while waiting before in my life.

During the wait, we were able to relax. Probably a misstep on our part. Rotation was still in twelve hours and still with two Shinigami. Juushirou stopped by when he could, usually with a message from Shunsui, whom I knew from the Demon War, or occasionally from Yamamoto-Genryusai Shigekuni. I had a lot of respect for that man. I would never want to cross him.

I was able to talk at length with the others and found myself instantly liking Rangiku. While she complained and was sometimes lazy, if you really needed her help she was there. She was smarter than she looked but it was the effort of actually applying herself to the task at hand that did her in. She would also spend _hours_ in the bath applying makeup and complain about its poor quality. She liked to tell stories and loved a good drink. She had no problem telling me what Soul Society was like and would even relate stories again so that Aodhan could hear them. She was good company and always brightened my day. I imagined that she and Vaeramae would have been friends. Probably good drinking buddies, too.

Ikkaku didn't talk much unless it was about fighting. I knew there was more to him than that for I would catch him talking with Renji about a variety of things. I even caught him doing his "lucky dance" once. I found _that_ highly amusing. To be honest, we didn't have much in common. Hell, Renji and I had more in common than we did.

Speaking of which, I liked Renji for his bluntness. He would tell me or anyone else if he didn't like something in his typical brusque manner. In a way it made him honest, although I'm sure he wouldn't see it that way. Still, he never lied or hid things from me or Aodhan. He never tried to protect us from every imaginable danger and never sheltered us from the truth. I appreciated that the most. He was the type to accept things as they were. He couldn't change it so he would deal with them in his own time, in his own way, and would make sure to be on top after it was all said and done.

The first thing I noticed about Toshirou was that you didn't call him 'kid' or 'child' or use any Japanese term that alluded to such, like _chan_. From what Rangiku told me that was a big no-no, despite the fact that Juushirou did it to him quite often. Mostly giving him candy for one reason or another. It annoyed him to no end. Toshirou was also extremely talented. I had been told (by Rangiku, of course) that he was called the "genius captain" amongst the other captains because he had attained his position in the Gotei 13 at such a young age. He was truly a prodigy. I still thought that he was too serious, though, but most certainly wise.

Ichigo. What could I say about Ichigo? He argued with Renji constantly, talked about a girl named Rukia (all of the Shinigami seemed to know her or know _of_ her. With his and Renji's constant chatter, I wanted to meet her), talked about his father launching sneak attacks on him, and just complained. Half of it I didn't even understand. There was school work he had to do (which he sometimes did at my apartment) things he had to learn about being a Shinigami (apparently, he didn't know that there were some things he could do in Paer'mvaer but would be much more difficult in Talvaer. I didn't know that either) and he could never seem to control his spirit energy. Apparently, I hadn't been the only one who could feel it. The others complained about his constant outpour often. Aodhan didn't seem to mind in the slightest. While Ichigo seemed annoyed with my brother, they got along to an extent and he put up with Aodhan's wild antics and occasionally helped him with the repairs.

The day began like normal with me hurrying about to get ready and be out the door by a certain time to catch the right train so that I wouldn't be late for work. It was just as boring and dull as it had been since I went back and I left at the same time I always did and was surprised to find Renji down in front waiting for me.

"Are you my protector for the night?" I joked.

Renji stuck his hands in his pockets and began to walk with me. "Something like that," he answered. "I figured hiding was pointless since you seemed to already know."

I smiled. "Well, thank you for not hiding, then," I said. And I meant it.

"Sure," he said. His way of saying, "You're welcome."

"Aiden still skulking about the apartment?"

"You expecting him to do anything else?"

"I was hoping that news that Rhys might be involved wouldn't have set him in so foul a mood for so long."

"Why?"

"Aiden feels as though Rhys not only abandoned him but betrayed us as well."

"Us?"

"Our kind. Aiden looked up to Rhys before he- before he left."

"So, he's angry."

"Yes."

We walked in silence for a bit, my mind wandering. Then I felt the world not so much change as shift. The presence was familiar and I whirled to meet it. I couldn't see anything at first. I saw Renji swallow something and then his Shinigami self emerge.

"Go tell the others!" he ordered as he drew his sword. I stared in amazement. His body was fully functioning without his soul within it. I didn't know that the Shinigami possessed such abilities. I was looking at mirror images of him, the only difference being the clothes he wore. Both were real, but his "physical" body was being operated by something or someone else. His body acknowledged the order and sped away. I made a mental note to ask him about that later.

I pulled my two daggers from my waist. "There's something else here other than a Hollow," I murmured.

"Drow?"

I tried to concentrate on the other presence. Everything I sent out slipped over it like water over glass. "I can't tell."

"Damn."

We waited in tense silence. I was gripping my weapons so tight that I had to force myself to relax. I heard Renji shift his weight. We were both anxious for the attack.

I felt the world change on my left and I lifted my dagger to meet it. The force of the blow nearly made my arm numb. I forced myself to follow through and alternated attacks between each blade.

The unseen force leaped back and I heard a laugh. I tried to look for its source but to no avail.

"We're in trouble," Renji ground out from between his teeth.

"How so?" I asked, alarmed.

"There's an Arrancar here along with your buddy," he explained.

I didn't dare glance away from the energy I felt. I knew what an Arrancar was: a Hollow that had shed its mask in order to gain Shinigami powers. This was bad.

"I'm glad to see you haven't lost your keen fighting skills, Kieran. I would have been very disappointed otherwise."

That voice made my blood run cold. I felt the blood leave my face and an emptiness in the pit of my stomach. "Rhys," I whispered. When he had been an Elf he had been an exceptional warrior. As a Drow, I'm sure that hadn't changed.

"That's so sweet. You remembered my name," came his mocking voice.

"You can handle the Arrancar, right?" I whispered to Renji.

"Yeah."

I wasn't sure if I should believe him or not, but I had to trust him. "Good. I'll handle the Drow."

Two on two normally wasn't so bad. Normally. But considering the opponents we now faced, I wasn't all that confident about our odds.

I braced myself for the attack. I could feel it coming. I blocked with my dagger and attacked with the other, which was parried. I was dimly aware of Renji fighting with the Arrancar as I fended off a counterattack.

I let my body take over and tried not to think, tried not to hesitate. I opened up my senses and was suddenly aware of everything: the elemental powers that surged around me, the spirit of the world, the darkness that surrounded Rhys, and the battle going on behind me that crackled like electricity.

I met each blade in front of me with one of my own. Our blades flashed in and out of the dying light of day. Twilight was fast approaching. I pressed my attack to drive Rhys back on his heels. He only smiled.

We locked weapons. My immediate reaction was to strike with my left. He caught my wrist. Damn. I forced both of my arms down, forcing him to do the same. I stepped in close.

I was supposed to head butt him. Instead I felt iron, cold and sharp, pierce my flesh. I felt my eyes go wide. I glanced down at my wrist, which was held not by his hand but by some dark force.

"You were always so predictable," he murmured. His face was inches away from mine. His hair was black as pitch, his eyes were the color of ice, and his skin was darker than mine. He was still beautiful in a dark way, but his smile was cruel and I could see him calculating behind those eyes of his. "Know that I never wanted to kill you, Kieran, but I don't need you interfering with neither my master's nor my plans."

I could feel the iron poison working through my body as Rhys lowered me to the ground. It was becoming harder to breathe. My body was refusing to move. All because of one stupid dagger protruding from my side. Rhys jerked the dagger out and I gasped. The pain was unbearable. I saw the weapon and realized that Rhys had been there that night when Adohan had almost been taken away.

He stroked my face tenderly. I recoiled from the touch and tried to turn away. He wouldn't let me.

"Does it hurt, Kieran?" I could hear the sarcastic concern in his voice. "The pain must be exquisite." He touched the open wound none too gently. I cried out despite myself. "What glorious music you make. It's a shame I don't have time to play." I heard actual regret in his voice. He stood up abruptly. "Farewell, Kieran. Perhaps we can play some other time."

I continued to struggle to breathe as he began to walk away. I watched as Rhys made some sort of hand signal. Another man, the Arrancar, appeared next to him. Rhys paused just long enough to turn to where Renji was standing and say, "You may want to take a look at her before she dies, Laochailan." He gestured in my direction.

I saw a glint of metal in the darkness. My pulse began to race. I wasn't sure if he was going to kill me or Renji. I kept my eyes on Rhys. As soon as Renji moved, the knives came. Drow knives laced with poison.

I screamed. I heard Renji echo my cry of pain. He fell to his knees still clutching his sword, Zabimaru, in one hand. I watched as he yanked out one of the knives. He looked over at me, confusion on his face.

"Forgive me," I whispered.

He let the knife go and pulled out another one. "I won't let you die!" he growled. Renji reached for the nearest knife embedded in my body. He struggled to pull it out and cast it aside. He did this once more before collapsing next to me. He had managed to pull out the two that had hit me, but he still had three left in his body.

"So…sorry…" I mumbled. I felt myself grow weaker by the moment. Drow poison was incredibly efficient.

"Stupid," I heard him say. "Don't say…sorry…"

The pain finally overcame me. I let myself slip into the soothing darkness, and then there was nothingness.


	4. Act IV

Author's Note: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, plot, etc. are the property of Tite Kubo. The original characters, settings and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with Tite Kubo and no copyright infringement is intended. This work is an amateur fan effort and no profit is being made.

With that in mind, check your sensibilities at the door. AU. Pure entertainment only. You've been warned. Also, I am eternally sorry it took forever to get this last chapter done! And if I managed to take characters OOC and any weirdness on my part. sighs I tried to keep it as close to what the original plan was, but you know how life sometimes gets in the way. In any case, I really do hope all of you enjoy this final installment of "Pieces of Twilight."

* * *

I smelt the sweet grass and the crisp, clean air before I opened my eyes and realized where I was. Aelovaer. The pale green moon hung in the night sky, the river of stars shined brightly, and I heard the faint sound of a harp being played. 

I attempted to sit up but found that doing so wasn't one of my better ideas. I lay back down, letting my body relax. I was dressed in my traditional clothes of grey/green. I looked like one of those rangers or archers from those role-playing games. Strange how Man would get everything else wrong but would remember what we wore.

I glanced to either side of myself. Renji was on my right, bandaged much the same way I was under my clothes. Zabimaru lay close to him. He was breathing deep and regularly. Relief washed over me. Renji was alive.

I watched him for a few moments more. It was a miracle we were both alive; but, who had been there in time to whisk us away, much less heal us?

"He won't disappear if you look away. I promise."

"Aodhan," I whispered with a smile.

He stopped playing and came to sit next to me. "I felt your pain. That was when I knew you were in trouble," he explained.

"Do the others know where we are?"

"Yes. Ichigo and a few others came with me. When we found you two, Jushiro and Toshiro were insisting that they take Renji back to Paer'mvaer. I told them that I could heal you both much faster in Aelovaer." Aodhan smiled smugly. "They protested. So, I said, 'Fine. I'm taking him anyway. We'll be back in a few days' and I brought you both here."

"Well, it looks as though I'll have a mess to clean up when I return."

Aodhan laughed. "Don't worry. I told them that the only herbs that can cure Drow poison grow in Aelovaer, so I had to take Renji anyway."

I smiled. "Good. So, he should be better soon."

"Yes," he replied, "and you should get more sleep. You were wounded more than he was."

Days passed. I healed quickly, but Renji was still worse off. Now that I was (mostly) better, I helped Aodhan with tending to him. It was the least I could do. He _had_ saved my life. Just as he said he would.

I stayed by his side most of the time. When I wasn't, I explored what was left of Aelovaer. The heart of the old forest remained, which was where we were. The oldest and strongest trees protected the sacred glade, their silver-green leaves shimmering in the moonlight.

I saw several of my cousins here and there about the woods. They offered their salutations and gave me news of the mortal realm. They had been experiencing similar problems to ours but nothing overtly serious. I began to wonder if our area was the epicenter of all of the disturbances.

I returned to the heart of Aelovaer and sat down next to Renji. There was still no significant sign of improvement. He lay asleep on the ground, breathing as regularly as he had when he had first been brought here.

The bandages looked dirty, so I set to changing them. I brought water from the nearby river, fresh linen, the poultice Adohan had made, and a cloth to clean the wounds. As I began to remove the bandages all I could think about was how lucky the man had been. Or how stubborn. For anyone to take that many wounds made by Drow weapons was astounding.

Once the wounds were cleaned, the poultice applied, and Renji wrapped back up I took greater notice of his tattoos. I wondered if they meant anything, like mine did, or if it was all for show. I saw some on his neck and brow and winced. Those must have hurt the most.

I couldn't help feeling that he was in this position because of me. If only I hadn't been so slow to react, he wouldn't have been hurt. If only I hadn't hesitated-

"Stop it!" I whispered fiercely to myself. My mind refused to obey. "Stop it!"

"Stop what?"

Damn.

I looked up at Aodhan and looked away. "Nothing," I lied.

I was a poor liar for then Aodhan said, "Stop being so hard on yourself, Kieran. Renji will get better." He always knew when I was lying.

I nodded. "Of course." I tried to smile back but I could feel it quiver at the corners. I knew waiting wasn't going to hurry the healing process so I left. When I returned after a time Renji was awake and aware. I knelt down beside him. "How are you feeling?"

Renji rubbed his head. His hair was back up and that piece of linen was back around his forehead. "Better. I still feel weak. What was that stuff?"

"Poison made from the blood of a nathar sgiathach. It's quite potent. The Drow lace their weapons with it," I explained. "You and I are both very lucky to be alive."

"Aodhan said the same thing." He looked around at his surroundings. "Where are we?"

"Aelovaer. My home." I smiled as I answered.

He looked about himself again with a new appreciation. "Is this what that serpent wants so badly?"

"Almost. It would look like this but without Elves."

We were quiet for a moment, then he asked, "That guy you were fighting, was that Rhys?"

I looked down at my clenched hands resting in my lap. "Yes," I replied quietly. "Rhys was an exceptional warrior. That hasn't changed now that he's a Drow. I was lucky to have lasted as long as I did. I'm lucky to have survived." I thought about that last statement for a moment. "No, he let me survive. He may not have intended for you to live, but he let me-_allowed_ me-to live."

"Why?"

"I don't know. He told me that it wasn't his intention to have me die." I had my suspicions as to why. Soraya and I had been twins, and Rhys may have still be in love with her. Why destroy the only person in the world who looks most like her? Or maybe he let me live as a gift to my sister, in honor of her memory. It was an interesting thought.

I looked up to find Renji staring at me strangely. "What is it?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing. You just look different."

I looked down at myself, at my clothes. They were traditional clothes for me. I looked more like a ranger in my grey-green clothes with a sword at my side. All I needed was a bow and a quiver full of arrows. Then I realized that this was the first time that Renji had seen me like this.

"Is this what you would wear normally?" he asked.

"Here? Yes." I tried to smile but couldn't. "You should rest," I told him. I moved to stand.

"What's wrong?"

I refused to look up at him as I answered, "You wouldn't understand. I couldn't begin to explain it to you."

"Try me."

I looked up at him quickly. "What?"

"Try explaining it to me."

"It-It's this place," I began. "Every time I come here it becomes harder and harder to leave. Everything is so peaceful. There isn't the constant hustle and bustle of the mortal realm. Nothing is dirty and old, creatures that Man has since forgotten still roam about this place, and the magic of the world is still alive and new."

I was vaguely aware of Renji frowning, disbelief on his face. I was so caught up in the feeling of Aelovaer that I plowed on with my description. "Man has not come in and tainted the world with their iron, killed the trees to build their homes, and slaughtered the animals for their feasts and leaving their carcasses about to rot-" I stopped, horrified at myself. I couldn't believe I had said that. He was - had been - Human. I looked over at Renji. The look on his face was one of indignation. Nay, _loathing._ He loathed me, hated _me_ for what I said. I felt tears sting my eyes. I blinked them away rapidly. I mumbled an apology and fled.

I he didn't want to talk to me after what I said, I wasn't going to be surprised. No wonder men wouldn't come near me: I was condescending, prideful, and arrogant. Perhaps my dislike of Man had influenced me on a subconscious level. Maybe Rhys had been right. Maybe I do hate Man.

I made my way down to the shallow pool fed by an underwater source. I sat down near the water's edge and wallowed in my self-pity. Aodhan kept me company later after the stars had come out. We sat in silence for a time, both of us with our own thoughts.

"Is he upset?" I asked.

"He was at first," Aodhan replied, "but after I explained that it was our pride in this place and our despair at how the world had degraded that prompted you to say what you did, he seemed to understand."

"Really?" I was impressed. But then again, Renji was a Shinigami. They understood such things as pride. "Is he doing better?"

"His body is still too weak. He can sit up with some assistance but standing is out of the question."

"How much longer?"

Aodhan sighed and rubbed his temples with his forefingers. "I don't know. He's a Shinigami. It could take forever. It could be quick. I'm working off of basics of what I know to heal him."

"I see." I had to accept that. I wasn't happy about it, but it couldn't be helped. If we wanted Renji to heal properly we would just have to wait.

As Renji healed, I kept my distance. I was ashamed of what I had said to him. Even though he said he understood he couldn't understand the sentiment behind it. Could he? The Shinigami could live for thousands of years. Jushiro was proof of that. I wasn't sure and I didn't want to take the chance. Not yet.

After a few days, Aodhan informed me that Renji was able to walk. Such is the healing power of this place. I was glad to hear the news but apprehensive at the same time. I didn't want to run into him again. But that was just what I did. Or rather, he ran into me.

We collided and fell in a jumbled heap. Apparently, Renji had been looking for me. He was quick to stand and helped me to my feet. He looked terribly embarrassed for having bowled me over like he did and mumbled a quick apology.

My head was beginning to pound from the collision and I just wanted this over and done with. "Can I help you, Renji?" I'm sure some of the irritation had crept into my voice for he went straight to the point.

"We should have some way of defending ourselves against Rhys. If what your cousin tells me is true-"

I cut him off. "I know."

"And?"

"I don't know. Aiden and I may need to stop holding back now that we know that the Drow are involved. Only Elvish weapons will harm them, but the serpent…" Damn serpent.

"Yeah. The serpent," Renji agreed. "We'll have to kill it somehow."

"We can't."

"What?"

"We can't kill it. The nathar sgiathach, all of them, are a part of the world. You could say that each serpent represents a different aspect of what goes on in the world. If we kill even one of them the balance of the world will be throw off. he world could die if enough of them are killed and countless lives would be lost. Aelovaer would disappear and with it the Elves."

Renji stared at me.

"What?" I asked. A feeling of alarm was growing in the pit of my stomach.

"The world _could_ die, but lives - human lives - would be lost," he said, as if asking for clarification.

"Yes," I answered. "If _one_ nathar sgiathach died the world would be sent into chaos and people would die."

"Tell me: do you remember what happens to a human soul when there is unfinished business?"

Now _I_ was the one confused. "Yes, they linger for a bit…"

"And turn into Hollows if they stay for too long."

I was still confused. "I don't-"

Renji came forward and gripped me by the shoulders. "Think, Cinnia! All of those humans! If they die many won't be able to pass beyond the mortal realm! They'll linger until they turn into Hollows! Aizen could use that to his advantage and turn so many into Arrancars! That could be his plan!"

The gravity of what he was telling me finally sunk in. Could Aizen actually have plans to kill not only the beast he was working with but also others?

"I'll get Aiden. We'll prepare the best we can here and head back to tell the others."

"I should head back now to tell them. We can prepare on our end."

"Where do you want to meet?"

"Your place. I think that would be easiest for everyone."

I nodded. "Alright. We'll meet you there."

I took him back to the mortal realm, dropping him off close to where my apartment was and disappeared into Aelovaer once more. When I found Aodhan, I told him our speculations. He looked alarmed and concerned.

"We'll need our weapons," he said and disappeared.

I knew what he meant. I knew he was talking about the weapons we used when first we had fought the nathar sgiathach. They were the same ones that we had used to fight the Demons.

Within a time, he returned with our things. I picked up my sword made of silver with its sheath and felt its weight. It felt good to hold it again. I set it reverently aside.

We discussed what needed to be done. We would let the Shinigami handle the threats from the Arrancar, but we would at least need two of them to go with us to seal the Drow and the nathar sgiathach in the bowels of the earth. There were four weapons of sealing: two belonged to Aodhan and myself. One had belonged to my sister. The last had once been wielded by Rhys and later by Maero. It was somehow fitting that Shinigami would use the last two.

I shouldered the weapons and we appeared back in my apartment. Just like that. I could hear people talking in the hallway. I took a peek out through the peephole and found that Renji had brought everyone with him. Even the captains were with him. Good.

Aiden busied himself by looking over the two weapons. They would choose their new wielders when the time was right.

"Did you explain the situation to them, Renji?" I asked as I let everyone in.

"Yeah."

"It will have to be a small group. Four, maybe five people. Any larger and we'll be noticed."

"I'll go," I heard Jushiro say.

I shook my head. "It won't work that way, Jushiro. Not this time. We're going up against a nathar sgiathach, not Demons." I heard him take in a breath to object. "My kind," I stressed before he could say anything, "have fought the nathar sgiathach before. We know how to subdue them. We have the means to do so. We can only take with us two of you and those two will be chosen by these weapons." It seemed silly saying it, in this day and age. _You will be chosen by this weapon_ seemed like something only those from the dark ages would believe. But it was true. Just as Excalibur had been. Just as it had chosen its wielder, so would these.

The two weapons in question were swords. Maero hadn't been able to handle anything else and my sister hated the bow so, of course, she had a sword. I held the bow in my hand and Aiden had his kopeshes strapped to his side. Strange how so ugly a weapon could be so useful.

"Chosen how?"

"One of you will be able to wield it," I said simply.

"So, what? We just see if we can swing it around?" Ikkaku asked.

I shrugged. "If you want." Truth be told, I wasn't sure how it was going to work. I just felt called to my weapon. I wasn't sure if the same thing was going to apply here.

Ikkaku, having asked the question, was the first to try. He attempted to lift it and only raised the first sword up so far. He strained and strained, but he couldn't lift it any further. The sword now seemed impossibly heavy. He had the same result with the second sword.

Most tried to lift the swords and all failed. Except for Ichigo. It was Maero's sword that chose him. With ease, he lifted the sword. He looked at me as if to ask if it were alright. I nodded. Renji, Toshiro, and Jushiro were the last to try. s luck would have it, Renji was chosen.

Aodhan grumped at me. "Figures," he muttered. He approached them both and handed each a pendant. "Take these. Wear them at all times. They will protect you from the denizens in the nathar sgiathach's lair."

I watched as Ichigo examined his. It was a triqueta, one of the ancient symbols of protection. The very same symbol that was tattooed on my back.

"When do we go fight the serpent?" Ichigo asked.

I looked over at Aodhan.

"Five days from now," he answered. "I suggest gathering your strength in that time."

"What happens in five days?"

"The full moon," Aodhan replied. "It will amplify our powers a great deal." He gestured to himself and me.

"Go home. Relax," I told the others. "There's nothing that we can do for now." I knew the two captains and Rangiku would stay. They would have to report everything back to Genryuusai.

When the others had left, I pointed a finger at Jushiro. "No, you cannot tag along."

"You know he's going to anyway," Aodhan pointed out.

To my ire, I knew he was right. Jushiro felt just as responsible as me. For all we knew, our battle with the rouge Demons could have opened the little entrance the nathar sgiathach needed in order to influence the world.

I glared at Jushiro, who smiled at me serenely. "Say what you like but Aiden is right: I will follow regardless," he said.

I looked at Toshiro and Rangiku. "And what of you two?"

Toshiro looked off to the side. "We won't get involved. We'll report back to Captain Genryuusai-sama. Let him know what the situation is."

"Tell Yamamoto-" I paused, collecting my thoughts "-tell him everything. Omit nothing."

Toshiro raised an eyebrow.

"I mean it. Omit not a thing."

Toshiro looked over at Jushiro, who nodded. "It's alright," he told him reassuringly.

Rangiku looked unusually serious. "We'll be sure to deliver a full report, Captain."

Captain and vice-captain left, leaving Aodhan, Ichigo, Renji, Jushiro, and myself to devise some plan of attack. Aodhan and I explained that it wouldn't be until the full moon that we could even look for or even further open the way to the underworld. There would be more power for us to harness on the full moon, which would help us greatly in not only gaining entrance to the serpent's lair but also in staving off the enemy. We would probably have to fight out way past many Drow before reaching the nathar sgiathach. Even then we might not succeed against this most ancient of all the serpents.

We spent the next five days in Aelovaer helping Renji and Ichigo acquaint themselves with their new weapons. They took on the shape and size of their preferred weapons, which helped. I had to explain to them how the rune markings worked and how they acted as a barrier against massive magical attacks and lend them strength. I think I only managed to confuse Ichigo more. He either complained of a headache or just "didn't get it" the entire time. Renji was more of the hands on type. He asked what he was doing wrong, I would show him, and he would duplicate what I did. Then, of course, Renji would gloat, Ichigo would get mad, and Ichigo would actually get the spell right. I was convinced then that their competitiveness was the only reason why they were doing so well.

Despite my growing irritation and Aodhan's perpetual cheerfulness that wore on my nerves, we taught them about the serpents and the Drow and how to fight against them. Most importantly, we taught them that the weapons that they now wielded could only be used against the nathar sgiathach, as there was a great spell to subdue the serpent engraved upon their blades. The power of the weapons was so great that they couldn't be wielded haphazardly.

The only one that was at the greatest risk was Jushiro; however, I trusted in his skill. I could do what Soraya had done and laid an enchantment on his weapon, but he was a captain. Part of the elite and in my opinion one of the best. Who else other than Yamamoto-Genryusai could stand against rouge Demons?

"Cousin, it's time," Aodhan murmured to me.

I looked up at him and saw only understanding. Understanding that he knew this was most likely a suicide mission. Understanding that we may not make it out of the serpent's lair alive.

On the fifth night when the moon was at its zenith, we descended to the world below. The entrance was easily missed. It looked like every other rock face and there were no distinguishing markings. The only difference was the magical energies surrounding it. Aodhan and I forced the entrance open with the help of the fae. Once everyone was through, we closed it. It was dark and dank within and it smelt of moist earth. Our runes flared to life and faded to a dim glow in the presence of Drow magic. The faint blue light lit the tunnel and lent an otherworldly, almost eerie feeling.

Ichigo looked up at the walls. "What are those?" He pointed.

I looked to see where he was pointing and noticed the runes. "Runes meant to light the way in the presence of a Drow."

"How long has this been here?"

"Since the first Drow appeared some hundred thousand years ago."

I could see Ichigo try to fathom that far ago and fail utterly.

"That's a long time," Renji muttered.

We walked along carefully, Aodhan in the front followed by Renji and Ichigo. Jushiro and I brought up the rear. The sound of water dripping from the walls echoed strangely in the enclosed space. The tunnel ended and we were brought into a large cavern filled with stalactites and stalagmites. There was a small pool close to the path that was lit by enchanted pillars meant to light the way.

There was no doubt that the subterranean layers of the earth held its own beauty, but I would miss the sunlight and the fresh air too much. We kept walking along the path as quietly as possible. Fish swam in the streams without sight, dangerous creatures that hadn't been seen in centuries kept alive by the Drow roamed freely in the underground, and every sound that was made echoed strangely in our ears.

Renji and Ichigo were both awed and perturbed by it all. Their reaction reminded me of my first time below ground. They tried to take everything in at once and still keep an eye out for anything that may come. It was disturbing on many levels to be in such an oppressive atmosphere.

"This is creepy," Ichigo muttered. He glanced about himself in an almost nervous manner.

"You're just not used to this place," Aodhan murmured back.

"And you are?" Renji asked in low tones, doubt in his voice.

Aodhan shook his head, which could be barely seen in the dim light. "I will never be able to get used to being underground, no matter how many times I do it."

"It's an odd sensation, isn't it?" Jushiro asked. "I've only done this once before and it still has my nerves on edge."

I kept quiet, feeling something change in the currents.

Jushiro looked back at me. "What is it?"

"They know we're here," I whispered. I cursed. I should have known better. The Drow would have known the stink of their hated cousins as soon as the scent was carried to them.

We began to run and were soon met by Drow. We charged through them as fast as we could, struggling down the passageways. More and more came. Aodhan led the way, his silver weapons flashing in the gloom. We drove back the Drow and the beasts before us. They were hardly a challenge for us and that worried me. Where were the warrior Drow that I had fought in the wars? Where were these Arrancar that I had heard so much about and had only seen once? Where was Rhys? We were nearing the epicenter of the labyrinth and the serpent. I could feel it. The stench of the nathar sgiathach permeated the air and left a foul taste in the back of my throat.

Then out of the shadows stood Rhys. With him were not only other Drow but Arrancar as well. This was what I had expected.

"They mean to stop us here and now," Aodhan said at my side.

"So it would seem," I replied. "_I_ will handle Rhys," I told him. I wasn't about to let Aodhan fight his brother and become enraged. Aodhan was _my_ brother now. Not his.

I glanced at Jushiro. Our eyes met and a decision was made. We attacked first. I struck out at Rhys with all I had, a sword in one hand, a dagger in the other, and a war cry upon my lips. I heard it echoed by others. The runes on my weapons flared to life as my sword blade met Rhys'.

"Sweet Kieran, have you come to play again?" he laughed.

I caught a glimpse of a second blade and blocked it with my dagger.

"Clever Kieran," Rhys chuckled. "Don't hold back now." He pulled back and swung again.

We began our play of whirling blades that sang through the air and the clash of silver against steel. We danced around each other as we sought for an opening.

"Little warrior maiden, how long has it been since last we fought? Do you still remember the way we fight our battles?"

He was taunting me and I knew it. He lunged at me with several quick attacks. Mere flicks of the wrist for him as I struggled to fend off his attacks. I saw an opening as he stepped back. I pressed forward, sword raised. I pushed him back on his heels, asking the runes to give me strength as I attacked. Rhys lunged again. I parried again and stepped in. A serious mistake. I felt blinding pain across my left arm. I fought the urge to scream and bit my tongue. I was not about to give him the satisfaction of hearing me in pain. I staggered back as quickly as I could. I dropped my dagger, unable to hold it any longer. Rhys smiled knowingly. He dropped one of his short swords. That smile stayed on his face as he began to prowl around me. He wasn't holding back any more. I would have to do the same.

I waited for the attack this time. I parried the few jabs and slashes. He was testing my defenses. So long as I held my ground he would have to come in for the attack. As we circled one another, I could hear the other battles raging about me. I prayed that Jushiro's health didn't worsen and he have a fit. I blocked them out of my mind and concentrated solely on Rhys.

My patience won out and Rhys attacked. I parried, then dodged. I stepped in but I was prepared this time. I raised my left arm, bent, to shield me and I stepped in low and wide. Rhys' sword bit into my flesh and slid across my arm as I lifted it. His sword was well away from me now and I thrust my sword at an upward angle. I felt my sword pierce flesh. I dared to look. My sword made of silver had found its mark: the heart of Rhys.

The once great warrior looked down at me. He dropped both arms to his sides, taking his deadly blade away from me. I had expected outrage, indignation, disbelief, but I found instead a smile.

"Do you remember what that one Roman emperor said?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Which Caesar?"

"I don't remember, but one of them said that Death smiles upon us all and all we can do is smile back." He slumped to his knees, forcing me to mine. "Well played, Kieran." His last compliment to me.

I gripped the hilt in one hand and the crosstree with the other. With all of my strength I twisted the blade and ruptured his heart. I pulled my sword free and watched as Rhys pitched forward and his body crumble to ash. A Drow is not given the pleasure of traveling across the Great Sea to join their cousins and loved ones.

"Kieran?"

I turned at the sound of my name.

"Kieran, the nathar sgiathach waits," Aodhan told me, reminding me why we had come here in the first place.

Jushiro looked weak and held two weapons that I had never seen before. They were beautiful and seemed to be made of silver, but I knew better. They were connected at the bottom of each hilt by a thick, red rope. Renji stood with the Elvish sword resting easily against his shoulder. It now bore the shape and size of the weapon he was most comfortable with. To my eyes, it looked like an ancient samurai's sword. Ichigo watched me with his giant Elvish made sword resting across his shoulders. He looked ready to take on the world. Aodhan looked grim but determined with his kopesh gripped in each hand. He was hell bent and determined to see this through until the end.

I sheathed my sword and did the same for my dagger once I found it. I cast a quick healing spell and the pain in my arm eased. I could still fire my bow. I took it off my shoulder and made sure I could reach my arrows. "Yes," I agreed, "the serpent awaits."

I led the way. I felt as though I led an army. We walked into the creature's lair as if we owned it. I wasn't surprised when all of the runes that we wore glowed even brighter in its presence.

The nathar sgiathach was enormous. Its body filled up most of the cavern we stood in. The rest of the cavern was covered in jewels, gold, silver, weapons, armor, and other such trinkets. The scales that covered it were a mixture of green and gold. Its soft underbelly was an ivory color. Its wings were tucked neatly against its body but there was room enough to spread them. It's eyes, though, were as red as the rubies it kept.

"So, the Elves have come," it rumbled deep in its chest. "And what have they brought with them? Men that were once living or men that were once dead?"

"We have brought with us no answers, Nathar Sgiathach," I replied.

"Is that so?" It peered down at us. "Then tell me: why have you come if not to entertain me?"

"Cinnia!" Jushiro hissed in my ear. "We don't have time for this!"

I frowned.

"The other Arrancar are coming!"

I swore under my breath. I was about to answer the serpent's question when I saw Ichigo rush past me. He must have heard us.

"No!" I cried. "Jushiro-!"

"I know," he replied calmly. He turned to face the entrance. He was a Captain. He could handle the Arrancar.

"Aiden! Renji! Help Ichigo!"

No sooner had the words left my lips did they leap into action. I readied my bow.

I felt something tickle my senses but I was too busy to really pay attention to what it was. I felt like the spiritual pressure had risen but I wasn't entirely sure. I saw Renji shout something but I couldn't make out what he was trying to say.

I watched and waited as the three of them battled against the enormous serpent. I couldn't bear to look but I had to. I watched as jaws snapped and Aodhan nearly lost an arm but he managed to dig one kopesh into its eye.

The serpent thrashed violently and roared in pain. Rocks and stalactites fell from the ceiling and walls. I thought for sure we would be crushed. Hope sprang to life when I saw the runes on the scythe begin to glow.

I cried out incomprehensively. I remember thinking that Ichigo and Renji had to plunge their swords into the beast's belly and I had meant to tell them. To this day I am unsure if my cry was about that or a cry of surprise with unintelligible words. Whatever my shout was, Renji succeeded in not only wounding the abysmal creature further but sinking his blade in its neck.

Ichigo dodged to and fro, deftly avoiding the thrashings and attacks. He climbed his way up the serpent's back and ran the length of its neck up to its head. The boy drew the sword back in a downward thrust as he raced to the top of the serpent's maw. The blade pierced through the scales and down into the serpent's mouth.

Someone cried out for Ichigo to move.

I loosed my arrow.

I felt it fly from my fingertips and pain exploded in my arm from holding it for so long. I saw it fly straight and true, embedding itself in the nathar sgiathach's other eye. All of the runes on the weapons began to glow with a blinding light. The serpent was engulfed in it as I heard a faint sound. I looked to see that the runic symbols were beginning to resonate with the spell.

A sound filled the room. Voices. Voices that seemed to be chanting. Over the resonating and the angry shouts of the serpent I couldn't make out what they were saying. Over the din, the serpent raised its voice loud enough for all to hear. "Do not think that this is the end! Evil will always exist in the World of Man! I cannot be stopped!"

The chanting grew louder, drowning out the accursed serpent. I knew it wasn't the end. There would always be evil in the world, but that didn't mean we couldn't slow it down to give the good in men's hearts a chance to flourish.

When the light faded and the dust settled so, too, did the voices. What was left was a silence more deafening than the noise. The nathar sgiathach lay on the cavern floor, its wings folded against its massive body and its tail curled about its body like a cat's. Its breathing was deep and rhythmic and echoed off the walls. The weapons that we had used against it lay on the ground, the wounds we had inflicted upon it now healing. The serpent would sleep for a time. Maybe not forever, but hopefully long enough.

We left in silence, gathering our weapons as we did so. It was over. For now, at least. The balance was restored.

* * *

Ichigo came by a few days later in the late afternoon with Renji. It must have been just after school for Ichigo was still in his uniform. 

"And what do I owe the honor of this visit?" I asked.

"We came to return your weapons," said Ichigo. He presented his Elvish made sword to me, wrapped in white linen, with the utmost respect. Renji did the same. I accepted the two swords back graciously and placed them reverently next to my bow and Aodhan's kopeshes in my room.

"Thank you for returning them," I said as I returned to the living room.

"Well, they weren't ours to begin with," Ichigo replied in a practical manner.

"Just so. Thank you."

"Where's Aiden?" Renji asked all of a sudden.

I chose my words carefully as I answered. "He's home at the moment." I paused. "We could go meet him. That would also give me the chance to return the weapons to their rightful place."

Ichigo was all smiles and eager looks. "Really?"

"Absolutely. You'll love it."

Renji fairly grinned at me. I'm sure he was remembering his last trip to my realm.

I pointed a finger at him. "You're last," I told him.

I took Ichigo by the hand and took him to Aelovaer first. I left him in Aodhan's care as I returned for the weapons and Renji. I cradled them in my right arm and grasped Renji's hand with my left. We appeared in Aelovaer to find Aodhan entertaining Ichigo with tales of ancient wars between the Elves and Drow, of how the Elves met the nathar sgiathaches, and of the coming of Man. He illustrated each tale with demonstrations and glamore. Aodhan was certainly a grand storyteller.

I left to return the weapons to their sacred place. I offered my thanks to the ones who made them and hoped for their continued assistance if the need should arise again.

I hurried back to see that Ichigo was actively joining in on the storytelling. It looked more like dueling than anything else. But they were all happy and to me that mattered most.

I sat down next to Renji, who was watching the two in amusement. "Sing us a song!" I called out.

Aodhan put a hand to his ear. "What's that I hear? A request?"

"Yes," I laughed. "Now go get your harp and play for us a happy tune and leave Ichigo alone."

Aodhan did as he was bid. He played a festive tune from days gone by and it made my heart soar and ache with the memories.

"The world before the coming of Man," Renji echoed in my ear.

"Yes. I love this place too much to leave. My heart wouldn't be able to take it if I had to."

"Would you-"

"No. If I left, I think I would die from grief." I smiled at Renji. "No more talk of sadness. Twilight approaches and with it will come the Elves. A celebration will be held tonight for the defeat of the nathar sgiathach."

"The same one that we fought?"

"Of course!" I replied with a grin.

When twilight fell, the other Elves came, just as I said. There were no tables or chairs but there was plenty of food, drink, music, and dance. We sang songs of victory and songs of life.

Aodhan somehow managed to get Ichigo to dance with the others. I couldn't tell if he was embarrassed or not. The sight of them laughing gladdened my heart and I jumped up to join them. I turned to offer my hand to Renji.

"No," he told me. "I don't dance," he insisted.

I laughed. After much cajoling and pushing I at least got Renji to stand near the dancing crowd. It was Aodhan who finally got him to join us. I'm not entirely sure how, but he did.

We celebrated into the wee hours of the morning. Long after the pale green moon had risen and set and all but the brightest of the stars had disappeared from the night sky. It had been a most glorious celebration.

I stared up at the sky as dawn came, resting amidst the sweet smelling grass. I closed my eyes with a content smile on my face. It felt good to have friends again. Aodhan and I were no longer alone. We didn't have to hide who we were and feel isolated from the world. All because one boy with orange hair had saved my brother.

"Thank you, Ichigo," I whispered.

"You're welcome," he mumbled in his sleep from the grass somewhere to my right.

I stared up at the stars for a moment longer and closed my eyes. I turned on my side and dreamt.

Fin


End file.
